1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a streaming content management apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a management apparatus and method for recording and replaying video and audio data using a real time video indexing function.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term “time shifting” is known in the art as the recording of streaming information such as TV shows to storage media to be viewed at a time more convenient to the user. In recent years, the advent of the digital video recorder (DVR) has made time shifting easier, by using a program guide and recording shows onto a hard disk. Some DVRs have other possible time shifting methods, such as being able to start watching the recorded show from the beginning even if the recording is not yet complete.
A DVR typically includes non-volatile storage (e.g. a hard disk) that enables the user to record desired content. DVR's also offer control functionality, such as the ability to pause content that is currently being broadcast or to watch the content, while still in progress, from the point it was paused. The DVR plays back the content from storage, starting at the pause event, while continuing to record the currently-broadcast content. Additionally, the DVR may support other control functions, such as rewinding, or fast forwarding a stored program, and slow motion playback.
However, most of the conventional time shift-enabled streaming content management techniques do not provide an effective playback positioning function, but only pausing of a program that is currently being broadcast or replaying of the past content within a limited time period.